So you’re dying book your first solo trip to the destination you’ve been daydreaming about this whole year but still nervous about how you’ll get by when you don’t know the language. Or maybe you’re going with a group but still apprehensive about how to navigate a new culture with the language barrier of not knowing anything more than English. Well you’re in the right place today! I’ve had my fair share of traveling to countries where I couldn’t even read the letters to countries where I had a conversational level of fluency, to all of the countries in between. Let me walk you through ways you can prepare for your trip and tips for on the ground!
Memorize the Currency Exchange
If you ain’t talking money I don’t wanna talk! One of the most common concerns of traveling is getting ripped off or taken advantage of because you’re a tourist. The extra added challenge of a language barrier can be nerve-wracking when trying to buy things and in a hurry or in frustration you might agree to a price or offer that makes no sense at all. Knowing the basics of money will help you be able to think on your feet when negotiating prices at markets, taxi cab drives, and more. Before you travel, look up the currency conversation and memorize the mental math needed to calculate prices. For example, when I went to Mexico I memorized the rate of $5USD being approximately $100 Mexican Pesos. This served as a baseline for common prices at stores and markets.
Brush up on the Basics with Duolingo
Prior to traveling to a country where I don’t speak the language, I like to brush up on the basics with the free Duolingo app. It helps to have at least seen some fo the most helpful phrases and to hear what they sound like before being thrust into the city with no context. I practice the most needed phrases like “Hello my name is Daizha”, “Where is the bathroom?”, “How much is this?” and any other common phrases needed to get by in society.
Download Google Translate
I am a huge advocate for Google Translate. Their photo translation feature is super helpful for reading menus and pamphlets. Simply take a picture of the words and highlight what parts of the copy you want to have translate and Google will translate the words from the photo to you. I used this a lot for spas and at restaurants. I’ve even used Google translate as a way to have a conversation with new friends. When I was in Cartagena I went on a day trip to the Rosario Islands and met another solo traveler who was from Argentina. When I had used all of the Spanish words I knew and neither of us could figure out what the other was trying to see I would use the app translator to share with her in Spanish what I wanted to say. She would write back her reply on my phone which then translated to English! It was an easy way to keep the convo going without getting stuck. It’s also a great way to double-check that you’ve understood what you thought the person was saying.
Participate in Walking Tours or Guided Day Tours
Do some research to see if there are any free walking tours available or group tours for sightseeing. Often there will be information regarding what languages are provided for the tours and you can meet people from your same country or who just speak the same language. If you’re solo traveling, it’s a great chance for you to make new friends or have people to take your pictures. The tour guides may give you some helpful tips and phrases you can look out for. You can ask the guides any questions you have or to explain something that you’ve observed.
Be Observant of Body Language and Other Cues
So you can’t rely on verbal communication but don’t sleep on how far reading body language will go. Be aware of the body language of those you’re interacting with and act accordingly. Did the person look down and squint their eyes after saying they understood what you said? They probably didn’t but don’t want to ask you to repeat it. Try saying whatever you had to say in a different way or slower. Is a merchant making funny faces to their friends standing nearby after quoting you a price? You’re probably getting finessed. Be aware and don’t overthink your intuition.
On the other hand, use gestures to your advantage and don’t be afraid to play a little charades. I do this all of the time and it helps to paint a literal picture of what I mean. If you don’t know the word for an animal, you know what to do… make the animal sound. Or if you’re trying to ask about a certain type of clothing, use your hands to outline what it is. It can be fun and light-hearted interaction for you and the person you’re trying to talk to.
Use What You Know and Go With the Flow
I overall feel comfortable going to Spanish speaking countries since I took 2 years of Spanish in high school and know the basics without having to do much prep work. I think people who were raised in other countries and are bilingual are so lucky because I WISH this was the case for me. I can comprehend Spanish very well when I’m actually in the cultures and I’m positive I could be fluent sometime in my 20s. But in other places like Morocco or Ghana or the Netherlands I simply know:
I have my arsenal of words I know and a positive attitude when encountering others and go on with my day. Being friendly goes a long way. I also try to ask questions and if possible ask if there’s someone that speaks English. A closed mouth doesn’t get fed.
And then Sometimes It’ll Just Be Awkward
BUT YOU’LL GET OVER IT.
My first time traveling by myself to a country where I didn’t know the language was in 2016 when I studied abroad for a semester in Milan, Italy. Since I was there for a whole 4 months there were tons of times where I was by myself and had to figure things out. Going to the grocery store for the first month gave me so much anxiety and there were times I would rather order takeout than to have to deal with the awkwardness of the social interactions. My first grocery store run took me nearly an hour and a half…the store was down the street from my dorm room y’all! It seemed like the simple things gave me the most grief. I couldn’t figure out how to get a basket (you had to put in a coin to rent one). I couldn’t find any food I liked. I picked up pork instead of beef (I don’t like pork). And when I got up to the check-out line, dear goodness, I basically got an instant headache and a flash of heat through my body because I held up the line since I didn’t put the stickers on my fruits and veggies bags and the cash register lady had to do it all by hand. She was speaking to me so fast in Italian and asking me tons of questions. I could see her frustration and just knew she was telling herself she did not get paid enough for this. I could hear the sighs and huffs and puffs of the people behind me. In the moment I didn’t think to start typing on my phone in Google translator back and forth. I don’t even know if I had it downloaded then. I think all I could say was “ non parlo Italiano” or something like that. All I knew was I was ready to get TF ASAP!
The necessity for food and warm meals forced me to continue going to the grocery store. I had to get out of my own head and realize that I was not the first nor the last person to be in Italy without being fluent in Italian. Those people huffing and puffing were going to go on about their day…full…while I was in my dorm room lightheaded and starving trying to avoid awkward situations for the fear of being embarrassed. So I started learning what the foods translated to and understood what the common phrases were at the checkout lane. I knew when the checkout workers were asking me if I wanted a bag or not and I learned how to put the stickers on my bags of fruit prior to going to pay for them. I had to make mistakes and just learn from them. Soon I was in and out of the stores in less than 30 minutes.
Language barriers happen and sometimes it’s not all laughs and giggles experiences AT FIRST. It can be awkward and you might feel like you can’t wait for the social interaction to end. But since then I feel more confident that I’ll be able to enjoy myself and have positive interactions based on being able to get through those humps before. It will happen but you will be just fine. The people around you that you think are laughing at you (and maybe they are) are just regular people too and one day might be in the same situation you’re in. But don’t doubt the beauty of humanity because a lot of times people will be understanding of your situation and have patience. I can’t say that was the case for me in the Italian grocery stores lol those checkout ladies were NOT having it. But I will say it built my confidence to explore other places and not let language barriers prohibit me from a great travel experience. And it shouldn’t prohibit you either. Be prepared to get out of your comfort zone and for the experience to rock your world.
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As always,
